"The Nature of Resources: Their Malleability, and the Means by Which They are Put into Service"

Abstract

Resources play a prominent role in organizational studies, spanning psychological resources that influence important individual- and group-level processes such as motivation and decision making to firm resources that influence firm– and industry-level concepts such as strategy and competitive behavior. While scholars have historically theorized resources as fixed entities, researchers have recently recognized that resources are malleable, shapeable by actors inside organizations. This gets manifested in a wide range of topics such as entrepreneurial bricolage, creativity and culture. Further, without directly addressing the malleability of the resource itself, scholars have increasingly been seeking to answer questions for how heterogeneity of organizational resource bundles emerges, and in what ways resource bundles are created and then transformed into capabilities. Our overarching objective of the proposed session is to bring a diverse group of scholars together who are nonetheless united in their treatment of resources as a malleable construct. We seek to spark dialogue at the session and beyond about the central role of resources in organizational theory and how theorizing resources as malleable alters a wide range of scholarly conversations. Accordingly, we have curated a set of scholars that include more micro-oriented organizational behavioral scholars, organizational theorists, and strategists. I Feel Free: Cognitive and Normative Slack as Drivers of Entrepreneurial Resourcefulness Presenter: Ted Baker; North Carolina State U. Presenter: Erin Powell; Clemson U. A Theory of Resourcing Actions in Organizations Presenter: Christian Mealey; Rice U. Presenter: Scott Sonenshein; Rice U. Enacting Resources Presenter: Martha Feldman; U. of California, Irvine Culture: A Resource for Identity Construction Presenter: Mary Ann Glynn; Boston College Presenter: Lee Watkiss; Boston College